Sunday, January 29, 2006

Leave Your Handbag at Home

“Best leave your handbag at home”, the advice I had to pass on from a lady who recently had her wallet stolen while shopping in Primark in Margate.This is allegedly the work of “Roma gangs”, working in family groups, she was told by the police. Apparently, the group concerned had been “Working” Margate High Street that day.What does a ‘Roma Gang’ look like? I’m not allowed to offer a description but I’m sure you have a good idea and I’ve provided an historical link for anyone who may be interested. in the history of the much-persecuted Roma people. A quick trawl through the web shows that such organised criminal gangs are the scourge of Southern Europe but have moved North in recent years, lured by the opportunities to be found in our more generous welfare society.

15 comments:

Anonymous
said...

A few years ago a BBC documentary gave an insight into the way the Roma in the Czech republic were discriminated against. The predjudiced comments from Czech council officials included words like 'idle scroungers', 'welfare spongers', and 'pick-pockets and thieves'. Perhaps those comments were not based on predjudice but were based on the reality. Thanks to this Government's lack of balls in controlling immigration in from countries of the expanded EU in 2004 its not surprising that the Roma problem has moved here. Generous help in housing and social security enables plenty of free time to engage in criminal activity. We cannot deport apprehended criminal Roma. Did you read the case of the Roumanian paedophile? No access to their native police records? Do we even screen at all? No Sex Offenders Registers to consult?

So soon after Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, I feel uneasy about statements that attribute types of behavour to whole groups of people, especially when invited to judge by "what does a Roma Gang look like?"What comfort do we get by directing fear and prejudice against groups whether it be Jews, Gypsies or Bloggers. Please judge indivuals by what they do, not by what race, creed or nationality they belong to. If there is a "group" working Margate High Street, lets catch them and punish them as indivuals.

I would hate to bump into some of these so called enlightened bloggers in my gardening togsI'd be branded a lazy,welfare scrounging paedophile whereas if I was attired in my "sunday best" I would easilly pass off as a local politician

I suspect that some of us need to leave political correctness behind us and join the real world which is inhabited by particular criminal groups and gangs that specialise in different crimes in this country and beyond. Thus if pink, cone headed Martians had a well-proven track record of stealing garden gnomes, it might not be unreasonable to suggest that the public be on their guard against gnome-theft by a gang of Martians?

I know what, in future just say a gang of people or a person (don't be gender specific) has done something that some people might think is a bit off, but on the other hand some people might think it is ok because we don't want to oppress anyone. So if you want to be advised of any criminal or dodgy behaviour you will have to contact a Police information desk as the Media won't be able to release any descriptions of anyone or their behaviour in order for you to protect your family. But look on the bright side, if your Granny gets mugged at least the person doing it won't feel oppressed, judged or descriminated against and so we'll all be happy together in our happy communities.Ms A B Surd

Its not about PC, its about not making sweeping statements and judging groups of people because of a preconception of them as a whole, whether they be gypies the unemployed or youngsters who wear hoodies I am all for bringing to book all law breakers and dealing with as hashly as the law demands, but if as a society we denigrate people just because of their looks or birth place trouble within society will not be far away

Thing is Steve there is a criminal modus operandum which certain groups of people have found to be very profitable, these groups do tend to have a distinctive appearance and have little reason for being in such a group or where they are or behaving in the manner they do except for their criminal purpose.Therefore it is not correct to warn the public about the likely appearance and behaviour of those criminals?Maybe the historical antiRoma propaganda has worked on me as I tend to be cautious of them, this was reinforced when I employed a couple of them and was let down quite badly, also found they were signing on in 2 cities as well as working for me. I never employed any more.Probably unfair but once bitten twice shy. I gave them a chance and they blew it.

Some 5 years ago or so a well known local newspaper was reporting the theft of some religious artefacts from a local place of worship. These criminals were described that Friday (hint hint) as being of "Jewish appearance". I asked the editor what that meant and why other criminals in the paper were not described as being of C of E appearance etc.I did not succeed in getting any sort of apology published but more recently that paper has described some perps as being of "Mediterranean" appearance.I suppose that is an improvement.

anon again!I can understand their need to steal and commit other offences, if they live elsewhere, but, they are given a place to live and money to buy things when they claim asylum here. They don't suffer the persecution they do from other nationalities. So, WHY STEAL HERE?It must be in their blood.If they DO steal and commit other offences here, and no other nation will take them (ie., we cannot deport them anywhere)then they must be made to realise that they will go to prison here when caught.Logically simple really.

New immigrants to a country often seem to get involved in particular businesses which may be more or less legal or illegal, maybe because they see an opportunity which is not being exploited by the natives.In the last half of the 1900's when I grew up I seem to remember reading that Maltese gangs were involved in nightclubs and prostitution, Cypriots were in cafe catering, Bangladeshis were in Restaurants, Irish were in construction, African asians were in newsagents, etc etc.So now in the same way the Roma are using their inherent skills which other countries have learnt to deal with to make a living over here where we have an ineffective police and a namby pamby pinko attitude which won't even let us warn old ladies about how to recognise the groups of criminals who may target them.I for one am too cautious to go walking out on the streets in the dark anymore, and I am a well built male.Our streets are much too dangerous, you only have to read this blog or the local paper to know that.Now its too dodgy during the day as well.Its time to get out of this place, if its the last thing we ever do, to somewehere where there is a better life for me and you.Or get an effective police force, not the ineffective yet expensive self titled police "service" we now suffer.

I think it should be possible to shake up the police, however who is going to do it? They are so complacent and whitewash all the problems.

They say reported crime is down, well of course it is, what is the point of reporting it when you know they won't do anything about it.

If you have any worries about groups and gangs from abroad that may or not be responsible for different crimes, then visit the BBC news site today for their story on fraudwhich has a nice photo of Mr Mayue Belzika, a recent arrival in our country, who holds the new record for cheque fraud at £20 million

The "9.36am" anon's above are spot on. Just what are we gaining from political correctness in our society. The moral highground? So what? It's time to turn the heat up and stop pussy footing around. I am also scared to venture out onto the streets on my own at night because this area is awash with crime. We are lucky if we see one police car drive through our town centres on a Friday or Saturday night.

I wouldn't call myself a racist. I normally despise "labelling" but I'm afraid I will go as far as avoiding the local "hoodies" and people who look like they have just turned out of the Jobcentre, and also those with "Mediterranean" appearance. Call me backward if you will or stuck in the past, but I am streetwise enough to know that our streets are not safe with the amount of youths carrying blades these days, and I'm a male who visits the gym regularly and keeps himself fit.

The first commenter here hit the nail on the head. These people are the ones we gave asylum to because they were "persecuted" in Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic etc. By persecution they mean that they were discriminated against because they were gypsies. i.e. someone called them a name in the street or spat at them. To me this does not warrant political asylum. They were given council housing, free NHS treatment and the dole and this is how they pay us back. Yes I know not all Roma are thieves but the fact too many of them are.

If they were truly persecuted in Slovakia et al how come so many of them have been back home since? How come so many of them have taken flights paid for by the British taxpayer after abandoning their asylum claims? Only to turn up a few weeks later with a new claim for asylum. The government of UK plc is a shambles and its time we faced up to the fact.

As I see it we have no reason to allow these people to stay here since the Czech Republic and Slovakia are all part of the EU then there is no valid excuse for them to claim benefits here. What we need to do is tell Europe to get stuffed, and put back an immigration control where we can if we wish exclude "europeans" from our country. People who come here and are given asylum or other europeans who break our laws should be deported and excluded end of story, but in Bliars Britain this is never going to happen.